Hide-stretcher



A. BERG. HIDE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZT, I919.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Aitomg' .ALEXANDER BERG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Application filed June 27, 1919. Serial N0. 307,221.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BERG, a citizen of the United States, andresident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hide-Stretchers, of which thefollowing is a specification containing a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to accompanying drawmgs, forming a partthereof. 1

My invention relates to improvements in hide stretchers, and relates tothat class of devices which are used by trappers and others forstretching and drying the fresh pelts of killed animals.

The particular feature of my device resides in the employment of astretcher bar, which performs the function of a lever for expanding thestretcher frame, and also holds the stretcher frame in the desiredadjustment.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, illustrating the operation of my devicein stretching a pelt.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my devlce with the hide removed, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmental perspective view of the free end of the expandinglever or stretcher bar.

Referring to the drawings, 4 and 5 indicate the members of thestretching frame. These members 4 and 5 are curved equally and uniformlyas at 6, and have their curved ends pivotally connected by a bolt orrivet 7.

These members are formed of flat metal, being of considerably greaterwidth than thickness, and are provided along their outer edges withintegral blunt spurs 8.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed 1 that these spursprojectbeyond the outer edges of the members 4 and 5 sufliciently tokeep the hide from slippingwhen said members are expanded.

The particular feature of my improvementresides in the employment of thelever 9, positioned between the members 4 and 5, and having one endpivoted to the member 4, by means of a bolt or rivet 10.

The lever 9 is formed out of a piece of flat metal and twisted as at 11.

The free end of the lever 9 is provided with a recess 12, having a widthapproxi mately that of the thickness of the member 5.

By forming the recess 12 in the free end of the lever, extensions orprongs 13 are formed, which lie on opposite sides of the member 5, whenthe lever 9 is operated to expand the members 4 and 5.

These prongs act as guides for the free end of the lever 9 and hold thesame from laterally shifting.

The inner edge of the member 5 is provided with notches 14. Thesenotches have inclined walls 15, which incline gradually from the notchesin a direction away from the pivotal connection 7.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The hide 16 is slipped over the members 4 and 5 as illustrated in Fig.1, and by pulling the lever 9 toward the operator, the members 4 and 5may be expanded as desired.

In Fig. 1 the device is illustrated as being handled by the right handof the operator, and the lever 9 being manipulated by the left hand ofthe operator.

As previously pointed out, the distinctive feature of my improvement isutilizing the stretcher bar 9 as a'lever for expanding the stretchingframe or the members 4 and 5.

In order to accomplish this purpose, the lever is pivoted to one memberof the stretching frame and operates between it and the other member ofthe stretching frame.

In the devices previously employed for stretching hides it is necessaryto grip the two members of the stretching frame and force them apart,and then hold them apart by means of a stretching bar. I

My device is distinguished from the prior devices by arranging andutilizing the stretching bar as a hand lever for expanding the membersof the stretching frame, and in order to accomplish this, it is neces-.sary to provide the inner edge of one of the stretching members withnotches, and arrange the stretching bar to operate between thestretching members.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

A hide stretcher comprising a pair of stretching members having curvedends and pivotally connected at one end, a series of spurs formed on theouter edges of the stretching members, a series of notches provided withinclined walls formed on the inner edges of one of the stretchingmembers, a combined hand lever and stretcher bar having one of its endspivotally secured to one of the stretching members and positionedbetween said stretching members, said lever being provided ,on its freeend with a guide way adapted to engage said notches and to prevent saidlever from laterally shifting and becoming disengaged, said leverthereby acting as a hand leverfor expanding the members of thestretching frame, and holding the same in the desired 10 ad'listment. 77

n testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

, ALEXANDER BERG.

Witnesses: V

JEAN GOLDBERG, WALTER C. STEIN.

